The Decriminalisation of Cannabis Offences in the Caribbean: Criminal Justice System and Public Health Implications

The prohibition of cannabis in the Anglophone Caribbean arose in the 1930s. It consequently criminalised the use, possession, sale, and in some countries the cultivation of a substance that was known to be previously accessible in some shops and was a part of the cultural identity of some of the countries. At the root of drug policy at that time and any attendant offences would have been colonialism. In 2015, Jamaica became the first of these countries to pursue cannabis policy reform. Several countries in the region have since undergone cannabis policy reform to different degrees and with several implications. This chapter explores the potential criminal justice system and public health implications that accompany cannabis policy reform in the Caribbean.